Oil heater



Patented liliana 25, lg3d UNITE@ STll-S @Figltflii RBERT NELSON AND W., Isl'illihl', 0F SGUX GET?, IKQWIL, NELSQN 2R05. 00.., INC., 0F SD'UX GITE?, XWJ

oIL nnefrnn Application led December e, `319989. Serial We. 2112,678.

Uur invention relates to oil heaters of the type illustrated in our companion applications, Serial Nos, 356,708 and 388,151, filed April 20, 1929 and August 24, "i929, respective y.

ylhe present application has as its primary object to provide an oil heater having a heating capacity that is greatly increased over that oi any ci the plug type heater. By the plugtype heater, we mean a heater that is adapted to substituted for the drain plug of acrank case or an oil container.

Another object of our invention is to provide a heater that may beoperated either from a storage battery or from an ordinary il() volt power circuit or similar electrical transmission line for supplying power .to homes. l

A further obi ect of the present invention is to provide a heater having in addition to the above characteristics the advantages of simple, durable and inexpensive construction and especially that of ready assembly..

A further object is to provide a heater of this type which is not only capable of being easily assembled but also of being easily torn down for repair.

Another object of the resent invention is to preserve the beneficial eatures oft the heater ci my companion 'applications in combination with the new advantageous features set forth above.

More particularly it is our aim to provide a heater adapted to heat by direct Contact with the oil of the container to which the lheat-y er is applied which does not project any substantial distance into the oil container and yet has a heating capacity which is not limited by this last requirement,

With these and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of our device, whereby the ob3ects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: Y

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view of a portion of an automobile dash and an electrical circuit including the heater oit the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the heater with the top removed. F 1g. 3 1s a vertical, sectional vien' through the heater, taken on the line 3 3 oFig. 2.

Fig., ai is an inverted, plan view oli a portion of the top.,

@ne of the requirements that has been found essential in the construction of a heater of this type is that the heater should not project any substantial distance into the crank case ci the vehicle to which itis applied.. In most engines, the space within the crank case is so obstructed by Working parts of the engine that the heater must be kept substantially at the inner level oi2 the bottom of the crank case.

lt ispossible to project the heater into the crank case just sulliciently to provide a raised Wall to prevent metallic particles and other foreign material being washed into the opening of the heater.

Vile have discovered that by utilizing a heating unit adapted to carry a 110 volt current that a heater constructed in accordance with the principles of our companion applications may be made suciently powerful to not only take the ice film from the oil pump of a crank case but to warm the entire engine by actually boiling the oil., Furthermore, we have discovered that this boiling of the oil is not detrimental to'the oil but has a benelcial effect in that it will thoroughly vaporize all water and undesirable hydrocarbons such as the lighter derivatives of benzine, gasoline and the like which find their way into the crank case of an automobile from the combustion chambers thereof. To state it more shortly the boiling of the oil 'will distill oil' the lighter hydrocarbons which cause dilution and rob the oil of its lubricating qualities. In order to utilize a 110 volt unit, however, more space is required than can be produced in a plug adapted to be received in the 4drain opemng of an oil container.

W'e haveA tried to solve this roblem hv extending the heating unit as ar up inth the oil container as possible and b making the shell of the plug as thin as posslble. But

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suflicient space could not be produced in this way to accommodate both heating units.

It finally occurred to us that it might be possible to place one of the heating units .entirely outside of the oil container and still to obtain the necessary `circulation of oil around the heating units.

From this concept there was evolved a solution to the problem of obtaining suiicient heating surface without obstructing the interior of the oil container. The idea was evolved into an auxiliary oil receptacle adapted to be positioned on the outside of the oil container and to communicate with the container by means of a neck portion adapted to be sealed against the oil container with its opening in communication with the opening in the oil container.

Circulation of oil from the container to the receptacle `can thus be obtained, the oil passing from the -container into the receptacle through one portion of the neck and after being heated iowing back into the oil container through another portion of the neck.

The structure embodied in this idea is very simple, comprising a receptacle pan A, having the bottom wall 10 and the side wall 11 terminating in an outwardly extended peripheral i'ange 12.

The other half of the receptacle is formed by a top B comprising a fiat cover plate 13 and a neck 14, which is formed so as to fit the opening of an oil container 15. Since most drain openings will be threaded, the neck 14 is in most cases provided with threads to be received in the threads of the drain opening, thereby attaching the receptacle to the oil container. 1n this manner, the device serves as a plug for the ldrain opening, as in our companion applications.

The to B is attached to the pan A by means o screws or the like 16, extended through the cover plate 13 and threaded into the flange 12 or vice versa. i

A gasket 17 is employed to seal the joint between the top and pan.

The heating units are mounted on a crossshaped spider 18 of insulating material, the arms of which are extended as at 19 to be received in the recesses 20 in the side walls 11 of the pan A.

The tpp B is provided with a pair of lugs 21 (see ig. 4) which are shaped to enter the recesses 20 and to clamp the portions 19 against the shoulders 22 formed at the bottoms of the recesses 20.

It will now be seen that the assembly of the device is speeded upv considerably bythe arrangement just described. The recesses 20 aliird lateral support for the spider 18 and the lugs 21 and shoulders 22 securely hold the spider against vertical movement.

In assembling, it is only necessary to drop the spider into place to connect up the heating units to their various terminals, as will later be described, and thence to secure the top member B in position.

The high tension heating unit comprises a coiled wire 23, threaded through openings 24 in the spider 18 and extended in the form of a spiral around the center of the spider.

The spider is made cross-shaped so that the oil may circulate between its arms andthe major portions of the heating unit 23 are extended across the spaces between the arms of the spider so as to allow full circulation of the oil around these major portions of the unit.

Both ends of the heating unit 23 are. connected to insulated terminals, one of which is shown in detail in Fig. 2. The terminal comprises a binding post 25, extended throu h an insulating sleeve 26, provided with insu ated washers 27 and a locknut 28 and a binding post nut 29 to receive a current carrying wire. The end of the unit 23 is secured beneath the head of the binding post 25 on the inner side of the receptacle and is insulated from the receptacle by an insulating washer 30.

The low tension heating coil 31 is secured to the spider 18 at its center by means of a bolt 32 and a locknut 33. The vbolt 32 is adapted to make electrical contact with the bottom of the receptacle, and to this end is threaded into a boss 34, formed on the bottom wall 10. The boss 34 serves to give support to the central region of the spider.

The upper end of the low tension unit 31 is connected as at 35 to a binding post 36 shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the diagram in Fig. 1, the low tension unit is grounded at one side to the engine of the vehicle, as indicated at 36 and is provided with a Single current carrying wire 37, which extends through the medium of a dash switch 38 to the battery 39, lwhich in turn is grounded as at 40 to the ve- The high tension unit 23 is connected by a pair of current carrying wires 41 to a plug socket or similar electrical connection 42, in-

stalled in the instrument board 43.

The socket 42 is adapted to receive a conventional ower line outlet plug 44, attached to a suitab e extension cord 45, which in turn is connected to an ordinary power line in a garage.

With the arrangements just described, the heater may be energized from the high tension power line while the car is standing in a garage. The engine ma be thoroughly warmed, taking no energy rom thefbattery of the car preparatory to starting out on a cold morning. When the car is standin on the street or away from access to a power ine, the chill may be taken from the oil pump by closing the switch 38 and taking the current from t9tie battery 39 to energize the low tension unit It may now be noted that the low tension unit is arranged in the center of the recepvifnsiausa sion unit which is more powerful .is disposed lio . capacity to thereoepta below and around the l low, tension unit. This arrangement alsomakes it possible to employ' a spider support for the high tension unit,.which is many-times longerthan the low'tension unit and to utilize the majority of-the area ofthespider forthe support of the high tension unit, only asmall portion of the :space being-necessaryato support the low tension unit. Furthermore this arrangement positions both thehi h and 41o,w. ten sion units in mmetrical ation to the receptacle in orr er to, assure uniform v circulatioei:1 of. oil when either of the'i units are being us t The. shallow construction of the receptacle hasthe advantage of, giving 4a maximum e with a vertical displacement; It is, of course, undesirable to. have the receptacle extend very far belowthe crank oase of an automobile, owing tothe ossibility of injury from obstacles ,over which .the vehicle may be .pass- The advantage -of employing two heating j units in a single plug member arises from the fact that therewould .be a .tendency for the battery, of a vehicle tobeexhausted ifthe heater is at all times ener d throughthe medium of a battery. A rther advantage arises from 4the fact that` .with a high tension `current,. A the entire engine ma be warmed.. A further'..advantage ofembo yin the two heating units together arises rom the cheapness and simplicity of a construction `embodying both units.

The symmetrical arrangements of the two. units, one in spiral form and the other .disposed therewithin makes it possible to utilize a low, fiat receptacle to obtain uniform circulation of oil and to utilize in the most efcient manner the space within the receptacle whereby a maximum length of heating element may be employed.

The advantages residing in the use of a receptacle positioned outside of the oil oontainer to which it is attached have already been explained but may be repeated briefly here as consisting in making .it possible t'o rovide suilicient space to accommodate a gh tension heating unit adapted to -have direct contact with theoil of the container Without extending the unit upwardly into the container.

We claim as our invention:l

'1. In an oil heater for fan oil container hav-v ing an opening, a receptacle provided with an opening, high and low voltage heatin units encased within the receptacle, an means for attaching the receptacle to the outer side of the container so asto Aform a closure for. said container opening with the two o enings inter-communicating, whereby oil om the container ma iill the rece tacle and submer e the'heating unit,

the ow voltage unit being. ounded at one end to the rece tacle, andft e highvol unit being insu ated at. both ends from t e receptacle.

2. In combination thestorage battery,

and crankcase of an automotive vehicle, a

member adapted to -serve as a plugfor the- 'crank case drainopening, high and low voltage 'heating units carried by .'said member, the low. voltage unit being -groundedat one end to the member,l a switch controlled conductor connecting its other end to the battery, the high voltage unit'being insulated .at both ends from .the member,'an"electr ica l connector mounted on the vehicle, and afpair of conductors connecting said connector, to

the highfvoltage unit, said ('ionnector bein adapted to be connected wie meier-ria transmission line outlet.

3. In an oil heater, a rece tacle comprisl y ing a pan and a top secured t ereto, thepan having a sidewall provided with interiorrecesses .terminating in shoulders that are raised from lthe bottom of pan, a heating unit,

an insulator for supporting 4said heating unit having portions received in said recesses and means extending into the pan and eurged by the top into engagement with the insulator to secure the latter against said shoulders.`

'4. In 'an oil heater, a'receptacle comprising alpananda top secured thereto, shouldered means raised from the bottom ofthe pan o n .the inside thereof, a heatin'g'unit, an insulator supporting said heating unit'seated on said shouldered means and thereby su I ported in spaced relation to the bottom of t e pan and means heldin place b the top and obstructing movement of the insulator in a direction away fromsaid shouldered means. 5. In'an oil heater, a receptacle comprising a pan and a top secured thereto, a heating unit, .an insuiator supporting said heating unit and loosely received inthe an and means held in place by the top an in turn serving to hold the insulator in position.

Ao. In an oil heater, a comparatively wide, shallow receptacle having a top provided with an opening adapted to communicate with an opening in an oil container, a comparatively wide insulator mounted in thereceptacle substantially parallel to the bottom thereof, the insulator being provided with a pluralit of openings, and a heating unit extended etween and through said o enings, and arranged `alternately above an below the insulator, the major portion of the unit being above the insulator.

"1. In an oil. heater, a comparatively wide, shallow'receptacle haying -atop, provided with"an opening adaptedto communicate with an opening in anoil container, 'a comparatively wide insulator mounted in the liti receptacle substantially parallel to the bottom thereof, a high tension heating unit mounted on the insulator and occupying the oute'r area thereof, a low tension heating unit supported by the insulator and occupying the central area thereof, said low tension unit being disposedy directly beneath the opening in the top of the receptacle.

8. In an oil heater, a receptacle, having an opening in its topadapted-to communicate with an opening in an oil container, an insulator in the receptacle, a heating unit, a boss formed on the bottom of the receptacle and su porting the insulator from below, and a meta lic securing element serving-to secure the unit to the insulator, extending into said boss, and serving to make an electrical connection between the receptacle and one end of the heating unit.

9. In an oil heater, a receptacle comprlsing a pan and a top secured thereto, the side wall of the pan being provided with oppositely disposed recesses terminating in shoulders spaced from the bottom of the pan, a heating unit, an insulator-supporting said unit pro- A vided with radiating arms, two of which are received in said -recesses and a pair of lugs formed on the top extending into said recesses and engaging the arms of the insulator to secure the latter inl position spaced from the bottom ofthe pan.

10. In an oil heater, a receptacle which is comparatively wide and shallow, said receptacle having a top provided with an opening adapted to .communicate with an opening in an oil container, an insulator comprising a plurality of radiating arms mountedwithin the receptacle and spaced from the top and bottom thereof, spaces being thereby formed between the arms of the insulator and the side walls of the receptacle to allow free circulation of fluid and a heating unit mounted on the insulator, said'heating unit having portions extending across the spaces between the arms of the insulator.

11. In an oil heater for an oil container having an opening, a receptacle provided with an opening, high and low voltage heating units encased within the receptacle, and means for attaching the receptacle to the outer side of the container so as to. form a closure for said container opening with the two openings intercommunicating, whereby oil from the container may fill the receptacle and submerge the heating unit.

12. In an oil heater for an engine crank case having a threaded drain opening2 a member adapted to serve as a plu for said opening,inc1udin a threaded nec adapted to be received in t e opening and a comparatively wide, shallow, enlarged receptacle attached to and positioned perpendicularly to the axis of the said neck and adapted to be supported b the crank case in a depending osition c ose to the bottom thereof, so as to iilled with oil therefrom, and a heating unit encased in the receptacle and adapted to have a heating contact with the oil therein.

13. In an oil heater, a receptacle comprising a pan and a top securedthereto, a heating unit, an insulator supporting said heating unit and loosely received in the pan, and elements secured to the top and depending into engagement with the insulator to hold it 1n position.

- lll. In an oil heater, a receptacle having a .top provided. with an opening adapted to communicate with an opening in an oil container, a ila-t insulator mounted in the receptacle substantially parallel to the bottom thereof, the insulator being providedwith a .plurality of openings, and a heating v`unit extended through andbetween-said openings,

and arranged alternately above and belowl said insulator, the major portion of the unit being above the insulator;

15. 'In an 'oil heater, a comparatively wide, shallow receptacle having -a top provided with an opening adapted to communicate -with an opening 1n an oil container, a comparativelywide insulator mounted in the receptacle substantially parallel to the bottom thereof, and high and low tensibn heating units mounted on the insulator one occupying the outer area thereof, and the other occupying the central region thereof and disposed beneath the opening in the top of the receptacle.

Signed this 9th`day of November, 1929, in the county of Woodbury and State of Iowa.

ROBERT L. NELSON. CHARLES W. NELSON. 

